Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Gruesome stoppages is a good place to start in finding the most feared fighters of all time.

Has any other man had a more vicious highlight reel of knockouts than Mauricio "Shogun" Rua?

Back in the days of Pride Fighting Championships, Rua was a knockout artist. He still is in the UFC, but while his violence might be rated "PG-13" in the UFC, it undoubtedly deserved an "R" rating in Pride.

With soccer kicks and foot stomps galore, Rua had four stoppages against Akihiro Gono, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Hiromitsu Kanehara and Cyrille Diabate that weren't for the faint of heart.

Mirko Cro Cop

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

"Right leg hospital, left leg cemetery."

It's hard to imagine a more chilling phrase than those words describing the Croatian Sensation's kicks.

Mirko Cro Cop had a knack for kicking people in the head and dropping them in Pride. In the UFC, it wasn't the same, but because of his legend, it still had to be frightening to stand in the Octagon with him.

After all, we're talking about a man who finished eight opponents in Pride with a kick of some sorts.

Wanderlei Silva

If you have no interest in getting into a brawl, don't sign up to fight Wanderlei Silva.

For his push-the-pace mentality, Silva's fights have always entertained and left a lasting feeling of satisfaction.

The feeling is different for his opponent, however. Silva has knocked out his opponent in half of his fights (24-of-48).

Who wants to step in the Octagon with someone with that resume? What's even scarier is his intensity during the staredowns. His staredowns, as well as his fighting style, are nothing short of legendary.

Jon Jones

At times, Jones looks more like a fashion model than a fighter. With his bony structure and easygoing mannerisms, you would have to follow the sport to suspect Jones fights.

But then you look up his highlights on YouTube, and the way you felt about him three minutes ago suddenly changes.

With razor-sharp elbows and pinpoint striking, Jones has become notorious for beating opponents and making it look easy. Be careful what you wish for, Chael Sonnen, a fight with Jones may not end well.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson could intimidate opponents with his staredowns, but it was his power that put fear in them.

Jackson has knockout power in both hands, and when he was a lion roaming around in Pride, his slams became world famous.

Take his slam against Ricardo Arona for instance. Jackson lifted Arona over his head and rendered him unconscious with one of the more brutal slams in MMA history.

Of Jackson's 32 victories, 14 of them have come by knockout. Simply put, every time Jackson's music hits and he starts howling, his opponents know they're but a power shot away from experiencing a devastating knockout.